


Chemistry 'Til It Blows Up ('Til There's No Us)

by natashova



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Fluff and Angst, Multi, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, bucky barnes is a good/bad influence, but the angst is heavy, clint barton hates admin, even as a teacher tony stark has an ego, everyone hates justin hammer except justin hammer, steve rogers is desperate to do the right thing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:08:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22231576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natashova/pseuds/natashova
Summary: "Either this is a typo or you're revealing our identities to a school for special snowflakes.""I'm sorry, I must be reading this wrong. Was that you questioning my authority? Because honey, that's not how this works."-Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes are two of the CIA's highest ranked agents. So imagine their surprise when their next mission is in a boarding school in the outskirts. Their target? A middle-aged Chemistry teacher.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, background James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton
Comments: 20
Kudos: 76





	1. You Pick Your Poison (Or Your Cure)

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfiction I've written for the Marvel fandom, but don't go easy on me! Let me know if I've messed up down in the comments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's the first chapter of the first fic. Thanks for botherin' with my antics, if ya think it's worth somethin' drop me some sweet kudos at the end. I'm thirsty for all of ya validation.

One in the morning is, in Steve's opinion, the most unreasonable time to be called into a meeting. Unfortunately, the boss is not a man you want to argue with, so he stood grumbling outside the elevator. Luckily, his oldest friend Bucky was also summoned, so they could complain about it together.

"Whatcha think this one's gonna be?" Bucky piped up, wearing a weary grin. "Chinese military base? Iranian terrorist group?"

"Frankly Buck, as long as we're not scouring the entirety of Russia for a single bird, I couldn't care less." Steve replied, tone too serious to be humorous, but the two men chuckled anyway. 

"Christ, don't remind me pal. That was some bullshit." 

Steve was about to continue reminding him, but the elevator chose that moment to arrive. They both stepped in, and hit the button for the top floor of the tower.

The tower itself was a monument to the conceited nature of their boss. Hidden in plain sight, he played with two very different roles, switching between them like a moody child, (which also happens to be an apt definition for the man) and seemingly loving how he deceives the world.

"Well, time to face the prick." Bucky said, as the elevator came to a halt. Composing himself, Steve straightened his posture and stepped out of the lift, Bucky following closely behind. 

Then, the man himself rounded the corner.

"Rogers! Barnes! My two best agents, my two greatest decisions! Sit down, sit down, please."

Steve fought the urge to roll his eyes and instead did as requested, giving the man a firm handshake. Bucky just sat down and glared, and both men took secret delight in how their boss twitched slightly at being so blatantly ignored.

"Well Barnes, is that any way to greet your employer?" He prompted.

"Well Hammer, is that any way to treat the man who could kill you?" Bucky retorted.

There was a moment of awkward silence, before Steve chuckled dryly. "Apologies Justin, I think that was a terrible attempt at humour." 

He nodded as if suddenly understanding, and the bravado came back in full force.

"Ah, of course. You boys have always brought a certain... charm to the business, yes. Speaking of, I have your next assignment here. Isn't it exciting?"

"Exhilarating." Bucky deadpanned. "Whatever you have planned better not be water, if this thing rusts again-" 

"The Arm!" Hammer cried. "How is it? That arm is my baby, I worked on it personally you know. Top of the range Hammer tech. You feelin' it?"

Bucky, Steve knew, was not 'feeling it'. The prosthetic was clunky and heavy, a real weight to carry. Not to mention the loud clicking sounds when the arm was moved at any real speed. He could see Bucky was about to start complaining, so Steve decided he should take care of this one. 

"A real feat of engineering, Justin. You've outdone yourself, and we both appreciate it greatly." 

This seemed to appease the man, who stood up abruptly and headed for a filing cabinet at the other side of the room, muttering something about how he "designed it better than he would've". 

"Ya seriously sucking up to this guy?" Bucky whispered disbelievingly.

"It's either that or be hate-assigned to pilot one of those drone suits. I know which I'd rather do." Steve whispered back, before quickly straightening up, seeing Hammer turn around. He crossed the room and threw two files onto the glass table.

"So, my two best men! For you, I have the best mission the CIA could possibly give you." Hammer proclaimed, luckily not noticing the look the two friends shared at this. "Your mission is based off of my personal intel and tenacity, so you know it's gonna be good, right? Right? This is a real fun one."

"You boys have heard of the institution SHIELD, yeah?"

Both men stared blankly at their boss for a few moments.

"What? You haven't? Man, where have you been? SHIELD is one of the most prestigious, well-known schools on the face of the earth. No?"

Steve covertly googled it, just to avoid the inevitable rant it would lead to if neither of them knew what Hammer was talking about.

"The School for Highly Intelligent and Exceptional Learners with Disconformity." Steve parroted, hoping he found the right thing.

"Yes! There we go Rogers, just had to jog the old memory, it seems? Fantastic. Well, my personal findings suggest that one of the staff members in this school is an... important ene-uh, target. Well go ahead boys, open your briefings. And look alive Barnes! This is exciting stuff!"

Bucky rolled his eyes and took his folder, opening it up. Steve did the same.

On the first page was a short explanation of the school and its (public) aims. According to the document, SHIELD was a school for kids with a high intelligence, but that made some bad decisions. 

"Sounds real niche, Hammer. What kinda irrelevant majority fits in that gap?" Bucky questioned.

"My thoughts exactly! But, alas, we're not here to investigate the whole institution, or not at first glance. Who knows what could transpire? But no, I want you to focus on one specific target. Turn the page, boys."

They did as instructed, and Steve's eyes landed on a photo of a middle-aged man with an interesting beard design and cocky expression. 

"Tony Stark." Steve said. "Male, 43, chemistry teacher."

"The very man! I have some... let's say personal experience with Stark, and he never seemed a good man, y'know? But I uncovered some fun secrets whilst doing some digging for something else. Seems like he's hiding something."

"What's he hiding?" Bucky asked immediately.

"Ah, that's why you're here Barnes! You and Rogers are the very best covert ops this agency has, and I need you to find out what he's up to."

Steve shares an alarmed look with Bucky. "Sir, you don't know?"

"No, but I know something's wrong. You and your best buddy over there are gonna make it right. Cool?" Hammer said pointedly, in a tone that begged not to be questioned. They didn't.

Instead, Steve turned the page to figure out what kind of character he's going to have to play. 

Steve read, re-read and re-re-read the page. After the fourth re-read, he started questioning his eyes. After the fifth, he sorely needed to question Hammer.

Fortunately, Bucky was way ahead of him.

"What the actual fuck?!" He exclaimed, giving Hammer a dirty yet still shocked look. "This is me! My actual, legitimate name. What shit are you on, buddy?"

"Come on jerk, calm down." Steve elbowed Bucky, who huffed and slouched even further in his seat. "However, he has a point. You're really sending us in without cover?"

"Yes." Hammer replied simply.

"Either this is a typo, or you're revealing our identities to a school for special snowflakes." Bucky snarled, conveniently forgetting Steve's warning.

"I'm sorry, I must be reading this wrong. Was that you questioning my authority? Because honey, that's not how this works." Hammer snapped. "This mission is easily the most important of your careers. I need your best acting skills, so what's better than not having to act at all?"

"I'll tell you what's better, not compromising the security of the whole damn-"

Hammer slammed his hand on the desk, cutting off the rest of his sentence. "Shut up, Barnes. Question me again and I'll have you shot."

Steve's eyes widened, and even Bucky shifted a little at the threat.

"That's what I thought, boys." He smirked. "I know it's, perhaps, a bit unorthodox. But when anyone searches you up, all they'll ever find is glowing reviews and Instagram holiday snaps. So calm down, hm?"

"Yes." Bucky said, defeated.

"Yes what? I can get my gun, agent." 

"Yes, sir."

Steve hated seeing his oldest friend trodden on like this. Unfortunately, it's in the job description, so he couldn't do anything other than send a reassuring smile Bucky's way.

With a deep breath, Steve turned his attention back to the file, and continued reading past the lines with his identity.

Job description.

Steve, the paper informed him, had a placement as art teacher at the school. He smiled a little at this; he'd been looking to indulge his old hobby recently.

He was informed that Bucky was going to be teaching also, but his subject was history. This also seemed well-judged, as Bucky had a lot of knowledge about the past. Stories about the roaring twenties, Russia and World War Two that Steve had been told over the years. He used to listen attentively, utterly enthralled, and on the odd occasion that Bucky has something new to tell, he still found himself hanging onto every word.

"Hey punk, you in there? Seriously?"

Bucky's words jolted Steve out of his train of thought. "Oh, uh, yeah. Just got lost in my own head a little. Sorry."

"Well boys, I'd say that we're done here, yes? I really want to go and eat what the chef prepared now, so I'll let you out of here." Hammer said, showing off more than necessary. "Car comes to pick you up at 2pm tomorrow. Be there or be fired. Bye for now." He abruptly stood up and left the room, leaving the two men sat, slightly dazed, in front of his desk.

-

The next day rolled around too fast for Steve's liking, and a familiar black case arrived at his door, containing everything Hammer thought he'd need for the mission, along with a list of more personal belongings he's required to bring. The case contained teaching qualifications, an art degree and various notes and stationery. 

At this point, Bucky burst into Steve's living room, flapping a sheet of paper with vicious anger. "What the actual fuck is this shit, Steve? We gotta bring our own documents 'nd everything!" Steve blinked twice, and picked up the list. Sure enough, it included their own proof of identity.

Steve hesitated, and said "As much as I hate the boss, he probably knows what he's doing. Pains me to say, but we gotta just trust him."

"Stop being so right all the damn time, Stevie. Makin' me look bad." Bucky chastised, a lopsided grin shining past his usual rough exterior. "If ya say so."

Just as quickly as he arrived, he left the room gripping a now fairly crumpled list. Steve watched him go with a gentle smile, before turning his attention to packing his belongings into a case that was slightly friendlier than the stark black one sat ominously on his coffee table.

Whilst selecting smart shirts, Steve's mind drifted to the mission. What had this chemistry teacher possibly done for his boss to send his highest ranks in for such a long-term mission? Jobs like these were left to the agents with middle rankings; good enough skills but the agency can afford the loss. How bad must it be to send both him and Bucky? Equally, Steve had his... personal suspicions of their boss, what with having this secret occupation (along with being the world's biggest weapons manufacturer) and more ego than any man of his stature should have. However, he'd always kept these private opinions exactly that, for the sake of his partner and best friend.

He and Bucky had been best friends ever since they were 8 years old, when Steve got into a fight with some older boys. They'd been pulling on this brunette's pigtails, and he'd stepped in to try and stop them. It worked... mostly. They left the girl alone, but only so they could turn their attention to Steve and start beating him to a pulp. Bucky had stepped in, telling them "pick on someone your own size!" and proceeding to (somehow) beat up the biggest guy. The others ran for it, leaving Steve on the ground with a bloody nose and mouth agape at the boy who'd actually stuck up for him.

Steve picked himself up off the concrete, wincing at a stab of pain in his shoulder. His eyes raised to meet the taller boy.

"What'cha think you're doin', punk? D'ya enjoy gettin' knocked out?" The boy challenged, one eyebrow raised, taking in Steve's small frame.

"Just wanna do what's right." He replied stubbornly. "Name's Steve Rogers."

"James Barnes. But ev'ryone calls me Bucky."

Steve fumbled and dropped the shirt, allowing the memory to fade along with the naivety of his youth. Shaking his head in a fruitless attempt to return to reality, he bent down and picked up the shirt he dropped. He quickly finished the packing, forcing his mind away from the past. 

Steve Rogers didn't have time to reminisce; he had to focus on the mission.  
And on how many pairs of underpants to pack.

-

He met Bucky at the lift again, pulling a tan leather suitcase behind him. Bucky never bothered to move everything to another case, so he was carrying the armoured black case. (He also never bothered to use the wheels. Steve asked a couple missions back, and he just muttered something about how a metal arm is pointless if he doesn't show off with it.) Both men were dressed in suits, but they managed to look starkly different from each other.

Steve wore a navy suit with a white shirt, unbuttoned at the top. He decided that if he could get away with not wearing a tie, it'd considerably improve the mission. 

Bucky on the other hand wore a sharp black three-piece, impeccably cut and clearly tailored. His black silk tie was impossibly neat, and his grey shirt looked like it cost more than one of those folding phones that break instantly.

"You don't clean up so bad, Barnes." Steve said, grinning and nodding towards the pricey shirt.

Bucky rolled his eyes fondly. "I'd return the compliment, but ya didn't even bother with a tie, Stevie."

Once again, the lift interrupts the conversation, and both men swiftly enter it. Pressing the button for the ground floor, Steve takes in a slow breath. He's preparing himself to get into character.

The changeover point is only about twenty minutes away from the tower, and he knows that he has to be completely in character by the time he's out of the car. Sparing a glance to Bucky, he notices him doing a similar thing, blanking his emotions and creating the character.

However, this is a curious thing to do when you're meant to be yourself, so Steve finds himself at a loss slightly. He decided, for the first time, that there's not much more to create than a backstory. If he makes himself too much like someone else, it could kill the act, seeing as everyone at the school has access to his actual social media accounts. Equally, not enough character and he could seem unprofessional.

Bucky sighed, and Steve turned to him.

"Weird not having to make up some persona, huh?" Steve half-jokes.

"Frustratin'." 

The lift decided that this conversation was over too, as they arrived at the floor and the doors pinged. Steve lead the way to the large glass doors, trailing his old case behind him. One good thing about being sent in as himself is having his own possessions with him; he doesn't have to miss the family photos, or the treasured possessions, or the necklace that he truly hates to take off.

Bucky followed behind him, and Steve listened to the harsh footsteps as they trailed him at close proximity. He can hear the way that Bucky syncs his footsteps with Steve's; one of the brunette's older habits.

The two men exit the tower, and head straight for the sleek black car parked directly in front of the door. Steve grabs Bucky's suitcase, and along with his, throws it in the trunk. He strolls casually along to the left back door, and hops in.

"Hey Happy, how are you today?" Steve asked, smiling at the driver.

"Fine. Not much going on really." Happy said. 

"Did Justin call you in on your day off again?" Steve sighs. Their boss has no regard for any employees that earn less than the top salaries.

Happy grunts, which Steve decides to take as a yes. Bucky simply offers a reassuring smile to the man, which seems to make him soften slightly.

With a foot on the pedal and a quick flick of the wheel, Steve and Bucky watch as Hammer Tower fades into the skyline as they drive out of the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm an autistic kid with a real bad need for validation, otherwise I never carry on with the story. Please hand over ya love 'n' helpful comments before I delete this outta some misplaced sense of self hatred.


	2. For Every Lie I Tell Them, They Tell Me Three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are again. Surprised I managed to stop procrastinatin' long enough to write it. Anyway, here it is.

In what seemed like no time at all, Happy pulled into an underground parking lot somewhere in Queens. He drove down to the lowest floor, and parked the car in the furthest corner. A few spaces over stood a Harley-Davidson Softail Breakout and an Audi R8. 

Bucky whistled appreciatively, stepping out of the car and going to admire the Audi, running his flesh and blood hand along the bonnet. Steve followed suit and went to inspect the motorcycle, pleased by the boss' taste in automobiles.

There was a tan biker jacket and a shiny black helmet placed neatly on the seat of the bike, both inevitably tailored to his measurements exactly. 

"Catch."

Happy threw two sets of keys at Steve, before turning to get the cases out of the car. Bucky grabbed the Audi keys with a grin.

"Sweet ride. Hammer doesn't normally burn money like this." Steve said, gaze still stuck on the sleek curves of the motorbike.

"Well don't ya go complaining Rogers, we get gorgeous rides and an easy assignment. Who irished up Hammer's coffee?"

Steve saw Happy snicker out of the corner of his eye, and he smiled. He and Bucky had grown particularly fond of the man, as he always quietly disliked the boss, and looked out for the two agents.

Happy turned abruptly and went back to his car, grabbing a HammerTab from the front glovebox. (Steve had always thought HammerTabs were terribly designed. Their screens cracked at the slightest pressure, the interface was clunky and they were so _heavy_.) He handed the tablet to Steve, with a video queued up to play. This was almost certainly Hammer's video pep talk, with extra information he forgot to put in their files and various half-empty threats.

Steve and Bucky propped the device up on the roof of the Audi and pressed play. It buffered for a few seconds and started playing.

"Boys! Welcome to your last-minute briefing. I'm sure you're itching to get on with this awesome mission, so I'll keep it nice and brief, yes."

Bucky scoffed, and Steve nudged him half-heartedly.

"As you know, you're undercover as well, yourselves, to teach at SHIELD. Your exact mission details will be sent through once you're settled, but I can grace you both with some extra information now! You need to gain the trust of all the staff who work there, become part of the family. Beneath people like you and me I know, but needs must. Once you're accepted into their little team, you gotta start sneaking around after dark, you boys know the drill. Find out everything about Tony Stark. I'm counting on at least one of you to develop a close relationship with him, both for the usefulness and the satisfaction of breaking his pathetic little heart- anyway. Trust nobody, agents. Hammer out."

A few seconds passed where neither agent said anything, before they both burst into laughter. "He really thinks he's all that, huh?" Bucky said, still chuckling. Steve could only nod in agreement, too busy clutching his sides and trying to catch his breath. Bucky grabbed the stupid HammerTab and handed it back to Happy, thanking him. The man nodded and said his goodbyes, before getting back into the car and swiftly driving out of the parking lot, leaving the two chuckling agents alone.

"They didn't really think this through," Steve complained, "how exactly do you put a suitcase on a bike?"

"By not killing yourself and putting it in my trunk, stupid." Bucky rolled his eyes and grabbed the two cases, opened the trunk and tossed them in there like they weighed nothing.

Steve considered this. "Won't it look suspicious if we show up together?"

"Well probably, but there ain't much to be done. Unless you got a single, better idea? 'Cause I'm all for keeping this assignment."

Unfortunately, the blonde couldn't think of any of the better ideas Bucky was referring to. Steve has always stood by his love for motorbikes, but occasionally they can be entirely inconvenient. Such as now, when he had a vintage leather suitcase full of vital possessions. 

He shook his head in defeat and focused on putting on the jacket and helmet. Taking this as a cue to get moving, Bucky hopped into the Audi, letting out an obscene noise of appreciation at the interior design and upholstery. He turned the key and held the clutch to the floor, impatiently waiting for his oldest friend to buckle the helmet. The satnav had a pre-programmed address, and so Bucky took the handbrake off and slowly drove up to Steve. 

Rolling the window down, Bucky said "I should go in front, I got the address in the nav. You cool to tail me?"

Steve nodded, swinging a leg over the side of the Harley. He turned the key and gave the bike a couple of revs; Bucky took this as a signal that he was ready to go, so he pulled out of the parking lot with more speed than was strictly necessary. Steve smiled fondly and followed suit, feeling the bike lurch forward.

He's always loved motorbikes. The freedom that comes with them, the way you become one with the machine and road. Feeling the harsh wind against his body, pushing aside all his anxieties and worries, feeling them blow far away. Steve sometimes imagines them lying on the roadside, left behind and unimportant. Unfortunately, the busy streets of Queens are miles away from the ethereality of dusty highways at twilight. Snapping himself out of it, Steve focuses on Bucky's Audi in front of him, making sure he stays close enough that nobody tries to push in between them. 

The drive up to the school was uneventful, save a couple of traffic jams and some frustrated beeping from Bucky. (Since becoming an agent, his road rage has slowly got worse as nothing he ever does could revoke his license. Steve has never worked out whether he's actually angry or finds it funny to fake being angry.)

SHIELD was located just outside of Queens, a stone's throw away from a neighborhood called Little Neck. The building itself was sleek and modern, coming across more like one of the CIA's training facilities than a boarding school. It's surrounded by large grounds, they stretch far and look pleasant, but there's a tall wall bordering the area. There's one gate, seemingly automated, that's the only way in and out of the grounds. 

Bucky pulled up to the gate, rolling down his window to talk into the intercom. 

"Hey, this is Bu-James Barnes, and tailing me is Steve Rogers. Can ya let us in?"

"Sure! Welcome, Mr- uhh, Barnes, right? Yep. Gates unlocking."

Steve raised one eyebrow at the tone of the confused woman- despite the walls, this place already seemed too friendly for it to be his mission. He definitely didn't mind though, and from the loud chuckles coming from the Audi it seems that Bucky didn't mind either. 

A siren wailed as the gate slowly slid open, and they drove up the long drive to what seemed like the main entrance. Waiting on the doorstep was a fairly short young woman with a woolen scarf and an older guy with a punk hairstyle and a cheeky grin. Neither of them particularly looked like teachers at an exclusive academy. Steve wasn't sure if this put him at ease or made him even warier than before. 

Bucky turned the engine off and got out of the car, whilst Steve kicked the stand into place and pulled his helmet off. The older guy came bounding down the stairs, with the woman following behind in a similar fashion- they both wore the same expression of barely repressed excitement. 

"Hey!" The man grinned, "Clint Barton. Deputy head. For some reason."

"And I'm Darcy! Not really relevant...kinda just a receptionist. But hi." 

Bucky quirked an eyebrow at this, trademark smirk on his face. "James Barnes. But ain't nobody calling me that, just call me Bucky."

"Bucky?" Clint grinned, "Stark's gonna give you about a million nicknames with that."

Steve noted the comment from Clint; apparently their target gives out nicknames liberally. "And I'm Steve Rogers. Sorry about him, he's-"

"Your best pal and an awesome guy? Yeah, I knew that already."

Darcy stepped forward, broadcasting perplexed happiness in every single mannerism. "Wait wait wait, you guys know each other? That's so cool!"

Shit, Steve thought, he forgot about that. He got caught up in the bike and the grandeur of the school and entirely skipped over the most blatant difficulty of arriving together with such obvious chemistry. 

Fortunately for Steve, Bucky had remembered, and swooped in to (verbally) save the day.

"Funny story actually, Stevie and I have spent, what, our entire lives trying to get jobs at the same place. Sad, huh?" Bucky joked, "But anyways, he saw the job vacancies and called me up all excited, so I couldn't go letting him down."

"Jerk." Steve cut in, "Actually, he squealed like a child on Christmas day and applied immediately."

Clint's smile somehow got even wider, and he high-fived Darcy. "You guys are gonna fit in so well, it'll be like you've always been here. Oh, right, you should park up round the side of the building and grab your cases. Then you-"

"-You get to come on our tour! Super exclusive, highly practiced and not at all overhyped tour. Yep." Darcy said, ignoring the joking scowl on the deputy's face at being interrupted.

"Sounds good to me." Steve smiled, "C'mon Buck." As he was walking back to the bike, he noticed his oldest friend throw a wink at the enthusiastic man - Clint, was it? - and hoped to God that neither of them would get too attached. Because Steve was already feeling _wanted,_ and that was a feeling he had only ever experienced with Bucky. Unfortunately, this was an assignment, and he was fully aware that he wasn't a teacher, he was a highly skilled agent and assassin. 

"Hey punk, you gon' stare at your helmet all day? We gotta park these beauties." Steve was quietly grateful for the interruption, as he didn't want to follow that train of thought any further. 

"Yeah, sorry, just in my head a bit."

Steve hopped back on the bike and followed Bucky round to the car park, where they chose spaces a little further away so that they could park next to each other (because they're both total saps).

Bucky patted the steering wheel and got out of the Audi, popping the trunk on the way. Steve grabbed his battered leather suitcase, and dropped the black one on the ground.

"Thanks, real delicate." Bucky deadpanned, but chuckled all the same. "C'mon."

They walked back round to the front, where Clint and Darcy were engaged in very animated conversation.

"I'm telling you! It could happen! Maybe he'd like me? Like, I know he's a blonde super-hunk but like-"

"Darcy, bro. Full offense, but he's probably dating some gorgeous bombshell of a woman."

Steve tried not to blush like a tomato at the concept, and Bucky stifled a laugh, smirking at how his best friend turned bright red despite his obvious efforts not to.

Clint laughed at the quickly forming pout on the receptionist's face. "Aw, don't be down. You'll find someone, it just takes time. Although I guess you don't have much of that."

"And who's fault is that, Mr Just-Once-I-Swear, one day I'll stop doing your shitty paperwork." Darcy looked pleased at her retort, as this time Clint was sulking.

"Hate to interrupt the comedy act, but I think we were promised an overhyped tour?" Bucky cut in, shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

"Uh, yep! Definitely. That's what we're doing. Right now. And that's what we're talking about. Yep." Darcy dug herself further into a hole with every word, and Clint didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed by the conversation.

"Oh, you guys?" Steve said, "For the record, I don't swing that way. Sorry to disappoint. Shall we?"

"Damn shame- I mean, sure. Cool- uh- leave your stuff in the reception, you can come and get it after the tour." She just about managed to string the sentence together, and seemed to be slightly proud that she managed it. The two men obliged, tucking their cases by Darcy's desk, and proceeded to follow Clint and Darcy in through the large glass doors that separated the reception from a large entrance hall.

Steve's first thought was dedicated to the sheer scale of the building. It was very obvious how expensive this school was, if the large grounds and even larger presence hadn't already convinced you. It had a very industrial feel, seeming quite lifeless and- cold?

He wasn't sure if that was the right word, he sure hoped it wasn't, but there wasn't really any evidence of students. 

"Where is everyone? A school gotta have students." Bucky chimed in, seemingly reading Steve's mind. 

"Still on their summer holiday. Only got a week left until the kids show up, then it's back to insanity." Clint sighed. "Wait, that's not a good advertisement. Shit. Like, the kids here are great! Super smart and stuff, just a real handful. Not too many of 'em though."

Steve laughed at the deputy's antics; he just found him so easy to get on with. Steve found himself wondering if the job will be a bit easier than he'd thought, if everyone is this relaxed.

He followed Clint and Darcy as they turned left, walking down the corridor. Bucky was at his side, pulling at the glove he put on to hide the metal arm.

"Okay first!" Darcy exclaimed, turning to face them and instantly gaining the attention of the agents. "We need to go to Fury's office. He's the head and like, the most important person to meet. Seeing as he's our employer and stuff. Yeah." She paused, possibly trying to collect herself after that jumbled statement. "Yeah. Um. After we meet Fury, we're gonna take you round the classes and stuff to meet the rest of the guys! And like, show you your classrooms and stuff. Then probably something else I'm currently forgetting. Cool?"

Bucky burst out laughing. "Something tells me we're gonna fit in here just fine, Stevie. We can all be disasters together."

Darcy looked vaguely offended, but quickly joined in with the laughter, and soon they were just four fully grown adults giggling in the school corridor. 

"Right, let's go see the big guy in the office." Clint said, and they all resumed walking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bike is one that good ol' cap actually used in the films, & the Audi is a marvel classic. Also, if you haven't noticed, I'm British, so trying to write with American English is gonna mess me up a lil bit. Please let me know if I used the wrong word somewhere, anywhere in this car crash of a fic.  
> Also, I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. Lockdown did a number on me, but I'm looking forward to getting back to writing this. I can't believe that one chapter got 50 kudos!!   
> Imma love you and leave you guys.  
> Promise they'll meet in the next chapter, but if I don't just post what I've got it'll be another month.


End file.
